In something of a metaphor for the state of the Labour party, their once favoured pub has sadly closed down. The Tapster was – helpfully for long-suffering staffers needing to drown their sorrows – located underneath their former party HQ at Brewer’s Green. They had a decent wine list and did a passable crispy duck confit, while their sheltered booths were handy for a clandestine lunch. A statement on their website says: “Unfortunately Tapster has now closed, and will not be re-opening”. The loss of Labour Party staffers from the office above crying in to their beers and drinking to forget has inevitably led to closure…

Quote of the Day

Dominic Raab wrote in his letter of resignation…

“This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust,” he told the PM, concluding: “I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election… I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom. I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit…”